Tender shreds of chicken, beans, corn, and spices, in a rich, flavorful broth. Load it up with cheddar cheese, sour cream and sliced green onions, and it’s a meal in itself. Healthy, hearty and easy to make, this White Chicken Chili will certainty be a hit for Super Bowl Sunday or any occasion.

I hope you’ve been doing well! We’ve been busy this week with projects, cooking (of course), a trip to Costco, and a check-up for Charlie. He’s tipping the scales at 17.1 pounds! He loves his toes, his brothers, and putting everything and anything in his mouth. He also loves laughing, and being the center of the action. 🙂

The big event for us this weekend was heading to the North American International Auto Show! Cars, lights, glitz and glam. The boys loved getting in all of the fun, new cars. What a great family outing!

Here are a few pictures from the auto show and our adventures this week:

In the freezing cold month of January, there’s nothing better than a hearty meal to warm you up. My inspiration for this recipe came from a sweet friend of mine. A few years ago, after I had surgery, she brought us a wonderful chicken chili for dinner. Is there any better gift than a home cooked meal that you didn’t have to cook, just after surgery? Definitely not! It’s just pure love. I liked it so much, I knew it was something that I wanted to recreate for us one night. With ideas from my friend, and from Betty Crocker, I present to you, my take on this new family favorite, White Chicken Chili.

This White Chicken Chili is the perfect mix between soup and chili. A delicious, and soupy broth, combined with all the flavors of a rich chili taste. When you’re craving that “lighter” chili fair, this is certainly the recipe for you. It’s easy to make, incredibly satisfying, and oh so tasty!

Guess what else? It’s even freezer friendly! I mean, let’s face it, there are just some days when you don’t feel like cooking. So while you’re making it, go ahead and double, or even triple your batch, and add it to your stash of freezer meals. That way, you’ll always have a great tasting, good for you meal, ready to go whenever you need one. Just pull it out of the freezer the night before, and pop it in the fridge. When dinner time rolls around, dump it in a pan and heat until hot. Grab the toppings, and sit down to enjoy your homemade feast, that you barely had to lift a finger for.

We love to serve this topped with all the fixings! Sour cream, lots of cheddar cheese, and scallions. Sometimes we’ll even add fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Covered, smothered, scattered, or plain, however you decide to serve this up, it is sure to be a winner. Whip up a batch of your favorite corn bread on the side, and you’ll have yourself the perfect Super Bowl meal!

In a large dutch oven over medium heat, add oil and heat until shimmering. Add onions and salt, and cook for about 5-7 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the beans, corn, broth, cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Stir together and over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes. Stir in chicken, and simmer for 5 more minutes or until hot. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve with sour cream, cheddar cheese, sliced green onions, and a garnish of fresh chopped cilantro and a slice of lime if desired.

Notes

To cook the chicken: pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels, then lightly season both sides with salt and pepper. Add one tablespoon oil to a grill pan or large skillet, and cook chicken over medium heat, turning occasionally, until cooked through. Move chicken to a clean plate, and when cool enough to handle, shred (pull apart) into thin pieces.

Tender bites of chicken, with chunks of carrots, celery, and onions, surrounded by fluffy egg noodles, swimming in a rich and flavorful broth. Healthy and Easy Chicken Noodle Soup is hearty, filling and nutritious. It’s the perfect thing to fill your tummy, and warm you up on a freezing cold night.

A belated Happy New Year to you!!! What a crazy year 2014 was! I’m just glad that last year is behind us, and I’m looking forward to everything that 2015 has in store. I hope you’ve had an excellent start to the new year so far!

The last two weeks have sure been busy around here. Besides the normal day-to-day routine of work, errands, laundry, cooking, fun, etc., we’ve also had a few other adventures. We had a very fun (and quiet) New Year’s Eve celebration at home. William loved going to a friend’s bowling birthday party last Sunday. He’s starting to become quite the bowler, and is especially good at Wii bowling. (Today he bowled over 200!) Andrew and I had a wonderful and super relaxing date night out on Friday night. We went to Crispelli’s, and enjoyed amazing brick oven pizza. Sometimes I forget how nice it is to have a night just to focus on each other.

This week was also the one year anniversary of my first post on Elizabeth’s Home! It seems like yesterday that Andrew and I were hard at work trying to get Elizabeth’s Home up and running. I can’t believe we’ve been posting for a whole year! We celebrated last night by popping a special bottle of Santa Margarita wine.

We first tasted this wine when we were in Santa Margarita, Italy on our honeymoon. Ever since then this wine has become a very special and sentimental favorite for us. Here are two pictures of Santa Margarita from our honeymoon.

I’m so thankful for Andrew and all that he does for this blog! I am also thankful for you, my wonderful and loyal followers! I am honored that you keep coming back to read about our lives, and to share in the enjoyment of our favorite recipes. I’m so excited to share many more memories and fun recipes with you in 2015!

Here are a few pictures from the last two weeks:

After all of the delicious and filling holiday goodies, here’s a great recipe to help lighten up your new year’s resolutions. There is just something so wonderful about a nice warm bowl of soup. This soup is EASY to make and comes together pretty fast. I love the depth of the flavors, with the juicy chicken and tender veggies. It is just sooo yummy! Another plus is that it even freezes well, too! This was one of my many recipes that I made a triple batch of right before Charlie was born. It’s always nice to have a stash of homemade chicken soup on hand whenever you might need it!

Sometimes I use organic chicken broth or stock with this soup, but lately my favorite thing has been Better Than Bouillon Organic Chicken Base-Reduced Sodium. It’s super easy to keep around, and it basically lasts forever in the fridge. It’s especially great if your recipe only calls for a cup or two of chicken broth, but I’ve also been using it with this soup and we’ve been loving it!

As the temperature continues to drop, and you’re searching for that good-for-you comfort meal, this Healthy and Easy Chicken Noodle Soup is just what you need! This soup makes the perfect meal for many occasions. Comforting on a chilly night, nourishing during sickness, or just delicious anytime. I love to serve it with a green salad and crusty french bread or crackers.

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery and salt. Stir together and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes. Then cover and cook until veggies are slightly softened, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the broth, thyme, dried parsley (if using), and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, uncovered, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the chicken and stir in the noodles, and continue cooking over medium-high heat until pasta is cooked, about 8 to 10 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper to taste, and add fresh parsley if using.

Notes

To cook the chicken: Place raw chicken breasts in a medium sauce pan and add water to just cover. Add 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon onion powder to the water. Simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes or until chicken is just cooked through. Carefully remove chicken from pan and set aside on a plate to cool. When cool enough to handle, shred or cube chicken.

To freeze: Cook soup as instructed and omit noodles. After freezing, reheat soup and add dry noodles when simmering, and cook until noodles are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Sweet, juicy, mouth-watering, glazed chicken. Honey Balsamic Chicken Tenders are super easy and incredibly delicious. These amazing little strips are great on a salad, with your favorite cheesy pasta, on a sandwich, or just eat them as is. The possibilities are endless!

It’s Sunday, and you know what that means… recipe time! But first, I decided to take the plunge for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. This afternoon we donated, and then dumped 🙂 See…. Ps. That water was cooooold!

Brrr! Let’s warm up and talk about these Honey Balsamic Chicken Tenders. This is one recipe you’ll want to keep close by. It’s so easy, and seriously my favorite new way to cook chicken. I just can’t get enough of them!!! (They even freeze well, too!) Just toss everything in a ziplock bag in the morning, (or if you’re short on time, just an hour before you want to eat), and at dinner time, grab your pan and cook them up in a flash.

I love how the honey and vinegar in the marinade come together to delicately cover each piece with a rich caramelized coating. My favorite white balsamic vinegar is the one from Trader Joe’s. It has a fantastic flavor at a great price! These tasty little morsels are out of this world! Make them once, and I can guarantee you’ll be hooked 🙂

Place a gallon size ziplock bag over a small bowl (to prevent spilling), add chicken tenders to bag. Then add garlic powder, onion powder, vinegar, oil, honey, salt and pepper. Remove most of the air from the bag, and close. Gently shake and rotate bag to combine ingredients, until marinade is mixed, and chicken is well coated.

Lay plastic bag on a paper towel lined plate, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 24. (Be sure to shake and rotate bag at least once while marinating.)

When ready to cook chicken, heat a large nonstick skillet, coated with cooking spray or 2 teaspoons oil, over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, use tongs to remove half of the chicken from bag, and add to pan. Cook chicken on one side for about 2 minutes, then turn, and continue cooking for about 4 to 6 more minutes. While cooking, rotate and flip chicken often, soaking up the sauce in pan with the tenders. Towards the end, be sure that the pan is hot enough so that the chicken starts to caramelize, but not too hot that it starts to burn. (You may need to adjust the heat accordingly.) Cook chicken until no longer pink in the middle.

Move cooked chicken to a clean plate, and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Wash out pan and repeat the same process with the remaining chicken tenders. Serve chicken immediately, or cool,and refrigerate for up to three days, or freeze up to 3 months.

Thin, marinated breasts of turmeric covered chicken, topped with a mountain of mouthwatering, sweet apples and caramelized shallots. Serve Chicken Breasts with Turmeric, Apples and Shallots with rice, your favorite veggie or a side salad and you’ll have the perfect “good for you” meal that will certainly be an unforgettable family favorite.

It’s another cold and snowy day here in Michigan. I guess that’s how the last few Wednesdays have been around here. Well, if it has to be bitter cold outside, I’m at least happy to report that we have been staying warm and toasty by heating things up in our kitchen. The boys and I have been cooking up a storm this week! I’ve been putting them to work in the kitchen whenever possible, and they have been a huge help. I have also been enjoying a few minutes to test some recipes without my little helpers. That’s when I’ve been turning to nap times, nights and weekends when I need that extra minute to actually think about what I’m doing. 😉

I’ve been having such a blast creating all sorts of healthy and delicious recipes. OBSESSED might be the right word, but I’d prefer to stick with something a little less dramatic. Let’s just say that I have been on a total role lately, in the creating and cooking department. Lots and lots of fun goodies have been emerging from our kitchen these days. I will most definitely be sharing the winning recipes with you! So don’t even worry.

Ok, so more about this little creation. William was super excited about this dinner before I even made it! While we were out grocery shopping the other day, and busy gathering a few necessary ingredients, he exclaims, “Momma, I’m REALLY excited about that apple thing for dinner!” Well, if that doesn’t sell it, I don’t know what does. 😉 Clearly, this has become an instant family favorite! It’s sweet and savory, super easy, incredibly healthy, and just so yummy! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Slice chicken breasts in half, to create 8 thin breasts. Place chicken in gallon ziplock bag, and add 1 tablespoon of the oil and shake to coat.

In a small bowl, stir together the turmeric, onion powder, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add spice mixture to chicken. Close bag and shake again to evenly coat the chicken. Place ziplock bag on a clean plate and refrigerate for 2-6 hours.

Cook chicken breasts on grill or in a grill pan on the stove. Make sure to spray grilling surface with nonstick cooking spray before adding chicken. (If using a pan, grill in two batches to avoid overcrowding.) Remove cooked chicken from grilling surface to a clean plate, and cover with foil to keep warm.

In a large, nonstick saute pan, over medium heat, add the remaining tablespoon of oil. When oil is almost shimmering, add the shallots and apples. Cook for about 5 minutes until apples and shallots are softened a bit. Then stir in the honey, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup water and 2 tablespoons vinegar. Cook for 10-15 minutes until apples and shallots start to caramelize and are softened. Then add the remaining 1/2 cup water and 2 tablespoons vinegar and stir together for about 20 seconds to loosen the sauce.

Lightly sautéed chicken breasts, in a lemon-butter sauce with capers and parsley. Served over a lovely side of perfectly cooked pasta. Chicken piccata used to be a dish that I overlooked, and clearly did not appreciate enough. Who knew that boring chicken breasts could be transformed into something so wonderful?

I just made this recipe for Andrew and I on one of the coldest nights that Michigan has seen in a LONG time! I loved creating this restaurant-quality, date-night dinner for us on a Monday night.

When I started brainstorming this recipe, I remember asking Andrew if he liked chicken piccata. His underwhelming response was, “Um, I guess”. Not exactly what I wanted to hear from a big part of my audience, but I decided to go through with it anyway, in case he was mistaken on his likes. Well, let me just be the one to say that after taking his very first bite of this dish, his new answer was, “YES! I LOVE chicken piccata!” You can’t blame the guy for being honest. That’s definitely one of the things I love about him. 🙂

And speaking of Andrew, we have a little news for you. We’re expecting another baby in June!!! Yep, baby #3 is on the way! We have been so excited ever since we found out in late September, and now we are equally excited that we get to share our news with you! We just went to the doctor today for our big ultrasound. They checked the baby and everything looks great so far! We even found out the baby’s gender.

Drum-role please…..

Baby number three is a……

BOY!

That will make THREE boys for our little family! We couldn’t be happier!

Lay chicken breasts flat on cutting board, and slice in half to create thin cutlets. Pat dry with paper towel and season both sides with salt and pepper.

Spread the flour in a shallow dish. Then dredge cutlets in flour to coat, shaking off any excess.

In a large non-stick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering. Add four of the cutlets and cook for about 5-7 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and lightly cover with foil. Repeat with the remaining oil and cutlets.

Using the same skillet, and the brown bits and oil that remain, add the garlic and shallot to the pan and cook over medium heat until softened, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the broth and sherry and simmer for about 8 minutes, until broth has thickened a bit.

Stir in the lemon juice, capers, and any chicken juice from the plate. Turning the heat to low, whisk in the butter, one third at a time. Remove pan from heat and stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.

When ready to serve, spoon the sauce over the chicken. Serve with pasta, especially fettuccine or thin spaghetti.